Abstract: A modified black hole(MBH) algorithm is proposed for pattern synthesis of antenna array.Based on controllable absorptivity, backward learning mechanism is adopted to enrich the diversity of the population so as to effectively avoid premature.Also, a climbing search operator is introduced to enhance the local search capability and increase the search depth of the individual and hence improve the optimization efficiency.The proposed MBH algorithm is applied to the pattern synthesis of thinned arrays and equidistant non-uniform arrays.The simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in solving array pattern synthesis problems.